Students given Chromebooks as part of district tech program

On Dec. 13, the SMMUSD school board approved a rough $1.1 million bid for the purchase of Chromebook laptops to distribute to ninth and 11th graders in the district. The students are able to take the computers home for school-use, bring them to class and essentially “own” them for their entire school year. 11th graders received their computers on March 13, while ninth graders checked theirs out on March 20.  The purchase was part of the district’s Digital Learning Program, which is focused on infusing technology into teaching and shifting education towards the new age. Bertha Roman, the Director of Education Technology at SMMUSD, presented a PowerPoint to the board, highlighting the main benefits of giving students computers.  The Chromebooks were checked out in the textbook room with each ninth and 11th grade English class. Each student was required to sign a contract promising to be responsible with the laptops.  The distribution of the Chromebooks was scheduled to correspond with 11th grade California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing, which started the week of March 13. Next year’s incoming freshmen and juniors will receive theirs at orientation in August. Many students are grateful to be able to have their own computers to use for school use throughout high school. “Since I don’t have my own computer at home, the laptops are going to be very useful for me. For kids like me, this is a super lucky opportunity,” Emily Garcia (’20) said.  The Chromebooks will allow teachers to cut down on paper usage and start posting most of their assignments online. Because teachers before could not be sure that each student had an at-home computer available to them, they were hesitant to use Google Classroom and their websites to relay information. Now that each and every student has their own laptop, they will be able to give assignments more efficiently and in a more eco-friendly way without the fear of leaving some students out. English teacher Amy Chapman is one of many who sees the Chromebooks as a great addition to the classroom. “I think they’re going to benefit all classes, not just English. A student of mine uses hers all day, which is really exciting. We are going to use the computers a lot for research and shared folders,” Chapman said.   If students lose or damage their Chromebook, they will owe the textbook room around $300. Due to this, students have the option to return their laptops if they feel they are not responsible enough to transport them to and from school everyday. The computers are expected to benefit both teachers and students, allowing them to make the most of class time and homework time. Our own students are piloting the future of technology in education.